BP in £60m advertising blitz following oil spill

Marketing, September 2, 2010 — BP more than tripled its advertising budget in the three months after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, as the energy giant looked to combat negative publicity and rising public anger in the US.

Good CMOs Facilitate Change, but Great CMOs Drive It†

Why Persuading Internal Constituents Is as Vital as Creative Ability

Advertising Age, September 2, 2010 — Leaders, including CMOs, need eight leadership competencies. Great CMOs are stronger at results orientation and change leadership — critical to driving and embedding strategic change in an organization

Consumers Find Ways to Spend Less and Find Happiness

Amid weak job and housing markets, consumers are saving more and spending less than they have in decades, and industry professionals expect that trend to continue

New York Times, August 9, 2010 — If consumers end up sticking with their newfound spending habits, some tactics that retailers and marketers began deploying during the recession could become lasting business strategies. Among those strategies are proffering merchandise that makes being at home more entertaining and trying to make consumers feel special by giving them access to exclusive events and more personal customer service.

Consumers Prefer Wheat to White in Sliced Bread Sales

Chicago Tribune, August 2, 2010 — The best thing since sliced bread may be...whole wheat sliced bread. A report on trends in the sliced bread market. Among the findings, brands with "natural" on the packaging or in the name seem to be performing better on the shelves than their white bread rivals.

Using Product Placement to Fund Reality TV†

Fall in Love, Plug the Island

Wall Street Journal, July 29, 2010 — Hotels and tourist destinations in exotic settings are coming to a television set near you. Tourist boards and hotel management have seen increased interest after being "plugged" on popular reality TV shows, from Survivor to The Bachelor. From the television production side, more exciting settings attracts viewers and keeps the show interesting.

Bringing It All Back Home

Even TV execs aren't too myopic to see the changes wrought by social media

MediaPost Publications, July 27, 2010 — Interesting look at the positive impact that social media is having on TV.

The Man Your Man Could Smell Like vs. The Most Interesting Man in the World

Fast Company, July 26, 2010 — While the debate over the effectiveness of the Old Spice Guy continues, Fast Company takes a look at another popular viral campaign: Don Equis' Most Interesting Man in the World.

Using Facebook as a platform for Ford's latest "auto show"

Mashable, July 26, 2010 — Today, Ford reveals details on its newest Explorer model to the world--via Facebook. The company has been releasing short videos at various time intervals on its Facebook page that feature background on the development of the car, live talks with company leaders, and more. This Mashable article interviews the digital marketers behind it all.

Behind the Laughter: The Making of Coca-Cola's Happiness Machine

Mashable, July 23, 2010 — An interview exploring the development of Coca-cola's "Happiness Machine" viral video, from conception to promotion.

Despite Enormous Popularity, Old Spice Guy Not Helping Sales

Yahoo! News, July 22, 2010 — The Old Spice campaign is definitely generating a lot of buzz, but that isn't turning into sales. This is a common marketing effectiveness challenge - to understand what truly drives purchase among your target audience.